The northern Thai name for the Buddhist New Year festival celebrated as Songkran is Pi Mai Mueang.
Pi Mai Mueang is associated particularly with the traditional New Year culture of northern Thailand, historically linked to the Lanna region. The phrase can be understood as “city New Year” or “local New Year,” distinguishing the observance from the modern civil calendar. Northern customs include temple visits, offerings, sand pagodas, family ceremonies, and respectful water rituals.
Songkran is the broader national name most commonly recognized inside and outside Thailand. Local terminology reflects the country’s regional history and does not mean that northern communities celebrate a completely separate holiday.
Pi Mai Mueang is also easy to confuse with Pi Mai Lao, the Lao New Year festival. The similar wording reflects shared regional cultural patterns, but the terms belong to different national and linguistic contexts.